Anti-Poverty Week calls on all Parliamentarians to commit to halve child poverty by 2030 by passing legislation with measurable targets and actions to achieve this goal. Anti-Poverty Week is imploring all to sign the pledge in support.

Early Learning Matters Week is back for its fifth year from 17-21 October 2022. This year’s theme is ‘Learning though play’. Organised by Early Childhood Australia, the week brings together early childhood educators, parents, carers and community leaders around Australia to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of early learning and the difference the profession makes. Click here to learn more and get involved.

Expressions of Interest in the 2022–23 Volunteering Grants, which are available nationally to organisations that have up to 40% volunteers, are now open. Full eligibility criteria and other details are available here, and the Expressions of Interest Form can be downloaded here.

Nominations for the Commission’s annual Human Rights Awards are open until Sunday 4th September. The Human Rights Awards celebrate outstanding achievements of individuals, communities and organisations to advance human rights in Australia. Help recognise human rights champions across the country by submitting a nomination.

Prominent industry groups have joined in backing the intention for super to be paid on Commonwealth Paid Parental Leave, with new HESTA data revealing the impact this key reform could have on its members’ retirement balances. Leading organisations from the business, health, aged care and community services sectors, including Chief Executive Women, Early Childhood Education Australia and the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation, are among the growing coalition of 18 organisations who are advocating for the retirement equity measure. Click here to learn more.

The Albanese Federal Government has an opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to Closing the Gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children by reinstating funding in the October Budget for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child and family centres.

The Abbott Government cut funding in 2014 to 38 Aboriginal Child and Family Centres (ACFCs), undermining efforts to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children had the best start in life through accessing community-controlled early childhood education and services.

SNAICC CEO Catherine Liddle said the ACFCs represented a considerable investment from COAG and the sector was still feeling the impacts of the cuts.

Understanding which households experience energy stress is important for policy development in the context of rising energy prices and the move to decarbonise the economy.

Many people in Australia struggle to afford the energy they need for their wellbeing. This new report by Brotherhood of St Laurence investigates the scale of the problem of energy stress and identifies policy implications. It has found that over the period 2006 to 2020 around one in five Australian households were in energy stress.

Moreover, energy stress is much higher in specific groups such as people with a chronic health issue or disability, renters, low-income workers and people on JobSeeker Payment. This has important implications for policy development.

The affordable housing shortage gripping regional Australia is blowing an economic hole in local economies worth hundreds of millions of dollars, as employers struggle to attract staff due to low vacancy rates and skyrocketing rents.

A special Impact Economics analysis of five regional economies commissioned by Everybody’s Home for the jobs summit explores the connection between increased rents, low vacancy rates and unfilled job vacancies.

The study examined the Queensland Sunshine Coast, NSW South Coast, Launceston-North East Tasmania, SA Fleurieu Peninsula and Geelong/Surf Coast in Victoria. It finds the shortage of affordable housing in these communities is undermining the capacity of employers to attract staff.

• Future challenges—tackling climate change, providing higher quality aged care, and improving childcare accessibility—will all require more government spending. The Australia Institute's Revenue Summit 2022 will bring economists, policy and taxation experts together to discuss revenue raising options to meet Australia’s public spending needs - 6 October 2022 - Click here to learn more and to register

• Digital Organising Bootcamp led by Australian Progress and Progressive Tech Network will bring together a diverse cohort of 25 organisers from across the sector to learn the strategies, models and tactics in best practice digital organising - 11 October 2022 - Click here to learn more and to register
  

• The Passing the Message Stick project has released a guide that "lays out the messages needed to build public support for self-determination and justice, paving the way for long term change". You can read the full report, which is the result of a two-year research project, here.

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) will typically be used in the not-for-profit sector when organisations wish to co-operate or share information with each other, allowing each to make the most of the other's specialist skills or knowledge. An MOU will typically establish a framework for the collaboration between the organisations and express the common goals or vision of the parties to the MOU. In general, an MOU will not deal with the specific details of particular projects. An MOU is therefore usually more of a 'high level' agreement. Justice Connect have developed a base template MOU which provides an example of the way an MOU can be set out and the types of details it may include. Click here to download.

Pat Turne, CEO, NACCHO featured

Terese Edwards, chief executive of the National Council of Single Mothers and Their Children

Hayley Foster, CEO, Full Stop Australia featured

"Abolish the Cashless Debit Card but make sure people aren't just transitioned onto the BasicCard as this is just another way of controlling Aboriginal peoples' lives." - @SophieTrevitt CEO of @Change_Record at #EJAConf22 today.

— Economic Justice Australia (@ej_australia) August 30, 2022